BEIJING (Reuters) -- President Mahmoud Abbas' envoy to China said on Friday that Beijing backs their United Nations membership bid, a day after France indicated it would support a diplomatic upgrade for Palestine.

Bassam al-Salhi, in China on a three-day trip to discuss tensions in Gaza, echoed earlier calls from China's Foreign Ministry that Beijing would support Palestinian statehood and its entry into the United Nations.

"They (China) support the Palestinian right for ending occupation and building a Palestinian state ... and support the bid of the Palestinian membership in the United Nations," al-Salhi told Reuters in an interview after meeting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

China's official Xinhua new agency quoted Yang as saying China "supports Palestine's entry into the United Nations and other international organizations and understands, respects and backs Palestine's bid for the UN observer status".

After their drive for full UN membership failed in the UN Security Council last year amid US opposition, the Palestinians have launched a watered-down bid for recognition as a "non-member state", similar to the Vatican's UN status.

This request can be approved by the 193-nation UN General Assembly and seems certain to pass.

Washington says it favors eventual statehood for the Palestinians, but wants it to come as a result of negotiations with Israel. The United States can block full recognition of Palestine as a UN member at the Security Council, where it has a veto.

On Thursday, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius indicated support, reminding the French Senate of a campaign promise for international recognition of a Palestinian state made by President Francois Hollande.

Beijing has kept close ties with the Palestinians for decades, but in recent years, it has cultivated stronger relations with Israel, especially in the field of defense.

Al-Salhi downplayed China's new ties while lashing out at the United States, saying Beijing has played an "active and vital" role on Palestine's behalf.

"We could not ask China not to make these ties (with Israel). What we need is more balance from all the international community," al-Salhi said, adding that Washington had "given nothing in the past 15 or 16 years".

A permanent member of the UN Security Council with veto powers, China has kept a low profile in Middle East diplomacy, and had little success in off-and-on attempts over the years to mediate in the Israeli-Palestinian issue.

China's Foreign Ministry has repeatedly called for both sides to resume peace talks, and said it was concerned about Israel's recent large-scale military operations around Gaza.

1 ) Colin Wright / USA

24/11/2012 22:14

Israel jes' keeps winning itself to death. If we could only come up with a way for her to enjoy continued crushing victories without actually killing anyone, this could all be resolved quite pleasantly.

2 ) Business / Israel

26/11/2012 07:25

Israel just keeps winning period. Now we have calm on the southern border guarantied by Egypt. Chinese trade with Israel has skyrocketed in both directions. I find it amusing that the Pal representative felt the need to state that they could not ask China not to make commercial ties with Israel. Oh but they did ask - they did indeed, but China told them it was none of their business and to shut up. China does as it likes.

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